So, this site has been here for so long I can imagine every possible subject being studied and discussed in this forum. So I come to you with this.

Just a refresher on the story:

Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Mat 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Mat 25:3 The foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them. Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him. Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. Mat 25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out. Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there be not enough for us and you. But rather go to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And they who were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Mat 25:11 Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you. Mat 25:13 Therefore watch, for you do not know either the day or the hour in which the Son of Man comes.

Now, I want to discuss the parts highlighted. Now, I had always assumed the "foolish" virgins to be the Jews and the difference being that the wise had extra oil, with the oil being the Holy Spirit.

My questions are (assuming the above is true):

What is the "midnight cry"?If the midnight cry is the Trump of the rapture, then why is there a delay from the cry to the door being shut?Finally, why did the wise virgins not share as Christians are commanded?

Col 2:6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him

Col 2:6 You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him.

I have always viewed this parable a little differently, from a non-OSAS perspective, also.

I have never analyzed the part about the midnight cry... but it would make sense that could be the trump of a pre-wrath (not necessarily pre-trib) rapture.

Why the space of time? Well... notice that there was a space of time also for Noah, from when God called him into the ark, until the door was shut. But Jesus said "They knew not" that Noah was gone, until the flood came.

There was also a small window of time, from the time the angels told Lot to leave, until the fire fell upon Sodom. The window of opportunity to leave was open for anyone who would heed, but no one listened. Abraham thought surely there would be 10 righteous within the city... evidently he expected Lot to be able to get at least his family out.

The main point of the parable needs to remain the main point: that you must get what you need, to make it the whole way. Just because you have a lamp, doesn't guarantee you have enough oil. And none of us can by any means save our brothers, for the redemption of our souls is precious. (Psalm 49:7,8)

It wasn't that the wise virgins didn't want to share. They simply couldn't. There was no way they could provide for their fellow virgins what the foolish ones asked.

Now, of course, in real life, each foolish virgin could have made it to the wedding feast by walking close to a wise one, by the light of one lamp. But it doesn't work that way spiritually. So Jesus told the story in a way that would convey the main points effectively.

The supply of spiritual oil doesn't come with the lit lamp. Oil must be bought separately.Each person is responsible for getting his own supply. You can't beg, borrow, or steal this. And it will cost you something.There's plenty of time, if you don't put it off.

Daffodyllady
Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will recieve you... Abstain from all appearance of evil...Without holiness shall no man see the Lord.

i would agree with Mark and i believe the message is also about endurance. All of the virgins had lamps and all apparently had some oil in their lamps, the foolish ones stated that their lamps had gone out suggesting that the lamps were lit for some period of time prior to that. The wise virgins brought flasks, extra containers of oil, they could continue to fill their lamps with the extra oil, they were prepared to endure for a longer period of time.

All of the virgins were awaiting the bridegroom, all had lamps with oil that were lit. But the foolish virgins expected the groom to come shortly, they did not expect to have keep their lamps lit for an extended period. The wise virgins knew that the groom could come later, later than expected, so they brought extra oil in extra containers, they could endure longer.

A similar theme is presented in the previous parable in Matt 24-' my master is staying away a long time'.

I believe Jesus is pointing out that His coming will be longer than will be expected, not just in reference to the 2,000 years, but in reference to the time of the end. Events may occur that appear to point to His return, but He does not come at the time expected, His coming will be further off than expected. The virgins went out to meet the bridegroom so they knew the time of His coming was at hand, but His coming was longer than they expected.

The theme being- prepare to endure,the time of His coming may be longer than you expect.

The theme being- prepare to endure,the time of His coming may be longer than you expect.

That's a good reminder to me, Mrs. B, because I do get impatient sometimes. It helps to get a gentle, to-the-point reminder that patient endurance is necessary. Also, I believe that the time of Christ's return for us is pre-appointed by the Father. So we people won't have to be in endurance mode forever. It just seems that way! :)

Patience...many verses in the NT tell us how important it is.The Greek word translated "patience" is "hopomone" (Hoopo-monay) and it means cheerful, hopeful endurance; constancy.

Add to your faith ... patience.

I also like to think of "faithfulness" as staying full of faith, because if I am not full of faith, I will not remain faithful.

Today, we are so attuned to instant gratification. We expect microwave popcorn, instant mashed potatoes, and TV dinners. (But none of them are as good as the real thing!) We want a pill to make us lose 5 lbs a week. We want our oil changed within 5 minutes.

But real living isn't instant. It takes time and trials to develop character.

Daffodyllady
Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will recieve you... Abstain from all appearance of evil...Without holiness shall no man see the Lord.

The message (or at least one of them) of the parable is this - just because someone looks like a believer doesn't mean they are. The 10 were all virgins, waiting for the same thing- the groom. They all had lamps, they all traveled together but only the wise carried fuel for their lamps. The lamp is the word of God- the gospel of salvation, the fuel is the Holy Spirit. The holy spirit is what fuels the word of God in a believer's life, it is what sanctifies us. While the foolish appear to have the word, they do not walk by the spirit, they rely upon the strength of others to propel them along. They rub shoulders with true believers but they themselves are not. Once the groom comes and shuts the door, it will be too late for those who did not choose to carry fuel.

The parable of the ten talents relates- it follows after this one and starts with

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them." (Matthew 25:14)

Jesus is the man about to go on a journey, the parable is for those who He would entrust His word to. Those who would become the "church" . They are all His so called servants, but only those who invested the word (money) and reaped a return are invited into the kingdom. The lazy slave- hid his talent in the ground because he was afraid, afraid that in investing it he might lose it all and then be punished by the master upon His return, he hid it so that he could give it back to the master saying "see I give you back what is yours". He did not even invest the word in his own spiritual growth (in the bank) he knew the truth in his head- but not in his heart. It's the same as the foolish virgin, she has the word, but is not investing it in her life. Instead she expects others to give her fuel. The foolish virgins are just like the wicked lazy slave- hypocrites.

So be ready- because you don't know when the master/groom will return, walk by His spirit, doing His word. Be a true disciple. Don't put it off thinking you have lot's of time, that the Lord's return won't happen anytime soon.

Matthew 24:42-51 42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. 45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I have come to understand the Parable of the 10 Virgins in a very different light since I have come to understand that Mathew wrote for a Jewish audience. There is a thread somewhere here that discusses the Jewishness of the Gospel according to Matthew (here... viewtopic.php?f=33&t=71201)

It will therefore, surprise many here that this parable is only found in Matthew and is not found in any of the other three Gospels...

The emphasis of the parable is this... Do not count on being a Jew... If you do not possess the Holy Spirit (oil), God will surely not know you...

Both the wise and foolish virgins were all asleep... Telling us the general inactivity of the Jews in terms of things of God...

The both being asleep tell me that it is not about perseverance (keeping awake)... They both were asleep!

It is all a matter of being a possessor of the Holy Spirit or not... And the Holy Spirit cannot be shared...

Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

πατερ δοξασον σου το ονομαFather, glorify thy name.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

KA, interesting perspective, just to speculate a little- in the parable there are 2 groups waiting for the coming if the groom, perhaps to also be called the Messiah, if we are looking from a Jewish perspective.

Both await the coming of Messiah, one group is found with oil, the other without, at the time of the coming of Messiah. One group goes with the Messiah, the other goes to punishment.

The oil could then be the belief in Jesus as the Messiah, the lack of oil referring to not believing in Jesus even though they wait for Messiah.

All Jews may wait for Messiah, but not all look for Jesus THE Messiah.

One thing of note here, the passage begins with the word "Then" and it follows what appears to be the second coming. I wouldn't be inclined to give this a church application, the church is usually referred to as the bride, not ten bridesmaids. This in my understanding is going into the marriage supper, not the marriage.

Mark

All Scripture from NKJV

Find a seven year covenant Jesus makes with anybody plainly stated in Scripture.